I'm no feminist, but...
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Original Post
There's this commercial on tv and it drives me crazy and I need to vent. It's a laundry detergent commercial. First it shows two little boys outside playing in the mud, having a blast. Then it shows a little girl and her mom inside, happily doing laundry.
When will we get to a time when it's no longer okay to promote such blatant gender stereotypes? I have YET to see a man doing laundry in a commercial.
I mean, I understand all the sociology behind this, and all the marketing research, and the fact that women DO buy most of the laundry detergent in the world... But come on. This is just a small example of a larger issue that is and will continue to be self-sustaining unless something radical happens.
What kind of lessons are we teaching our kids? Boys, go make a mess; we girls will clean it up.
I could go on...but I won't. :)
Posted at 10:59pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
Responses
I've been called a femi-nazi before... and I do all the freeking laundry!
Posted at 11:11pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
Ya know what, though, guys? Right or wrong, the ad got us talking about it, so I guess their marketing strategy works.
Posted at 11:11pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
cheapthreads says "unfortunately it isn't big businesses' problem to worry about things like gender stereotyping. Their mission is to make money for their shareholders. Personally I don't believe that it is things like tv, magazines, etc. that are putting these ideas into society's heads... I think it is the other way around. I think companies play off existing stereotypes."
I agree completely. They're selling laundry detergent to women because that's who's buying it. It's self-sustaining. I see no end in sight. And that is immensely frustrating to me.
Posted at 11:12pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
don't even get me started on the yoplait commercials. we're so vacant- all we ever talk about is shoes and chocolate.
Posted at 11:14pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
pandys - can't work too well, because I have no idea what brand it was. On the other hand, I don't know which brand NOT to buy. ;)
on that note, off to bed for me! I look forward to checking this thread in the morning.
And please--I didn't mean to offend any feminists with my thread title. It's just one label I don't put on myself.
Night!
Posted at 11:14pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
zerkah, I don't like being a feminist is bad, but when something like that laundry ad annoys us women, and then (speaking for myself here) I still like a door being held open for me or a seat offered to me.
When I think feminist I think of hardcore women who want to do everything for themselves without a mans help, who don't shave anywhere etc etc.
Posted at 11:15pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
I'm all for chivalry. It shows respect for women. AToo many young boys (and men for that fact) who have no idea how to show respect.
Posted at 11:18pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT
"zerkahloostrah says:
Is there something wrong with being a feminist? Is it a bad word? When did that happen?"
my thoughts precisely. it seems that "feminist" has, for a lot of people, become a no-no word, which stinks.
as for the commercial, it still seems to be the norm that if we see somebody other than the mom doing stuff like housework, it's somehow either comical or really made to stand out like some kind of crazy role reversal. it's kind of funny how some advertisers seem to be stuck in this 1950s ideology.
Posted at 11:18pm Apr 16, 2007 EDT